3 Reasons why Clint Capela's extension is not ideal for the Atlanta Hawks
Ever since Clint Capela's blockbuster contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks, which ties him through the 2024-25 season, the validity of this NBA signing has come under the microscope.
The 6-foot-10 center agreed to a two-year, $46 million contract extension. And with two years left on his current contract, he is set to make $82 million over the next four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.
After being drafted by the Houston Rockets back in 2014, Clint Capela played six consecutive seasons with the franchise, averaging a double-double of over 12 points and 10 rebounds. Moreover, Clint Capela's recent stint with the Atlanta Hawks might seem like a glorified success, but there's more to it than meets the eye.
On that note, let's see why Clint Capela's extension is not as ideal for the Atlanta Hawks as it might seem on the surface.
#1 The Atlanta Hawks are milking their recent singular postseason run way too much
After finishing fifth in the East with a 41-31 record, the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in five and seven games respectively in the playoffs. In his first ever postseason outing, Trae Young did most of the heavylifting as he averaged 29 points and 9.5 assists in 16 games.
To put things into perspective, only one other player (Bojan Bogdanovic) could average half of those points in the same playoffs. While Clint Capela's numbers dropped from 15.2 points and 14.3 rebounds during the regular season to 10.1 points and 11.2 boards in the postseason, no other Hawk apart from Young could cross the 20 ppg mark throughout the year.
The Atlanta Hawks are a surging group of talented players, but the reality is that the last postseason lacked a whole bunch of superstars in LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard, amongst others, due to injuries.
Moreover, when Trae Young got sidelined in the ECF, Clint Capela and the Atlanta Hawks just didn't stand a chance against the well-oiled machinery in the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Hawks front-office cannot possibly be planning their next 5 years based on the outcomes of an league-wide injury-marred postseason. It is highly likely that when the stars return in all of their glory next season, a lot of teams that shined in the playoffs this year might struggle to book a berth.